Light Of My Life
by Andrea Meiouh
Summary: AU S+S Romance - In a distant past, a mysterious warrior lived isolated, far of everything and everyone, until a woman appears in his life... Will she be what he needed to leave his solitude? Read and Review, please!


Hi, everyone! Here I am again with yet another fic starring the characters in Card Captor Sakura. I really enjoyed writing this fic; it was my first attempt to make a historical romance (I hope it turned out alright…) and I hope that you appreciate it. This story was locked in a closet a while ago and I decided to put it online and finish it once and for all. It's very annoying to stay with an unfinished story. Well, to what interests us, the fic!  Sakura and her family are on an expedition, but something happens to them and our heroine ends up in the house of a mysterious warrior. And there… I already said too much!! Read and enjoy yourselves!

**LIGHT OF MY LIFE**

_By Andréa Meiouh_

**Chapter 1**

_A long time ago…_

The plain was covered with snow. In the morning sun, the white immensity hurt the eyes. But the young warrior was alert. The enemy was approaching; he could feel it. His eyes, vigilant, observed everything, tireless, like a predator awaiting its victim. His heartbeat, accelerated. This was his day, his chance to prove his true worth to the clan. He was Li Xiaolang and he'd show all that he was capable to make his own path.

Suddenly, a raucous scream was heard. Xiaolang unsheathed his sword and with his companions, began an uncontrolled gallop towards the fight of his life.

* ~* ~ *

_Five years later…_

Sakura, her brother, Touya, and her father, Fujitaka Kinomoto, rode in a peaceful forest.

"The plants from here are marvelous," said the oldest man, delighted with the beauty and the variety of the vegetal species of the place. "Can we stop for a while?" he asked the guide that accompanied them. "I want to sketch some of these specimens…"

"I'm terribly sorry, profesor. We're in an extremely dangerous region… There are robbers around here, and furthermore, it's growing dark," answered the little man with a worried expression. "It would be better to quicken the pace."

"We're going to make a short stop," ordered Touya. "We drink a bit of water, take care of the horses, my father does his sketch, and then we continue."

They set up a small camp. Sakura was excited. It was the first time that she was included in an expedition with her father, an illustrious professor at Tokyo University. She seized the occasion and withdrew from the main camp to take care of her bodily needs. When she returned, she heard the noise of hooves. Her brother had probably gone to look for her. She decided to walk faster. She stopped when she heard screams. She ran, and the scene she saw as she got closer filled her with dread and fear: a group of vandals was attacking the expedition's caravan. She saw her father being stabbed. She saw her brother fight desperately for his life. He turned and looked at her.

"SAKURA! RUN AWAY!" he exclaimed. That moment of distraction was fatal to the young man. His adversary gave him a lethal blow.

The girl ran away as fast as she could. Tears filled her eyes and blurred her vision. She couldn't believe this was happening. Her father and her brother killed by assailants. She was alone in the world. She didn't have anyone else. She tripped on a root, but she didn't have the strength to push herself up. She wanted to die with her family.

"Now, now… what do we have here?" a masculine voice, slightly dishonest, sounded behind her. She hadn't noticed that she'd been followed. She turned and saw a terrifying man. Uncombed hair, eyes wide-open, putrid teeth, and a fetid smell. Sakura shivered. "Are we going to have fun, doll?" he suggested, getting closer.

The poor girl began to crawl, trying to run from that nightmare, but she wasn't able to. The attacker grabbed her by the legs and tried to kiss her. Screaming and kicking the most she could, Sakura struck her aggressor a few times, but only managed to irritate him.

"Stay still!" he grumbled, hitting her a few times in the face. Sakura's world spun and began to fade. Her last coherent thought was a wish: for all of this to be over as soon as possible.

* * *

Two people observed a girl lying on a bed.

"How is she?" asked the man.

His companion answered in a low voice. "Well… she was struck quite a few times, but she'll heal fast. Mu Bai got there in time to stop something more serious from occurring."

The stranger nodded his head. "Take care of her, Lau Ma. Warn me when she wakes up."

"Yes, master."

* * *

They were all together in a lovely field: Sakura, her father, her mother, and her brother.

"I'm so happy!" exclaimed the girl. "We're together again, like in the old times!"

"You shouldn't be here, Sakura," said Nadeshiko, lightly caressing her daughter's cheek. "This is not your place, dear."

Sakura's eyes filled with tears. "But, mother… Why can't I stay with you? I want to so badly…"

The lovely woman, of angelic aspect, merely smiled. Fujitaka answered in her place. "We know that, dear… And we also want you to stay with us… But you have a destiny to fulfill… You must follow your own path." 

Sakura watched her family walk away. She tried to follow them, but she was held still, as if she had her feet glued to the floor.

"Take care, monster," said her brother before vanishing.

"NO! TOUYA! DADDY! MOMMY! DON'T LEAVE ME!" she shouted, desperate.

"Goodbye, dear. Soon, we'll see each other again." Now it was Nadeshiko's turn to disappear.

"MOTHER! PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!"

"You will never be alone, my darling," said Fujitaka with his sweet smile. "We will always be with you." He began to disappear. "Don't forget this, my daughter. Goodbye!"

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

Sakura's screams drew the attention of all in the house. Lau Ma ran as fast as she could to the room where this unexpected guest was settled, and found her sitting on the bed, hugging her knees, crying desperately. She slowly moved closer. "Miss…" she called. "Is everything alright?"

Sakura raised her head and saw that unknown woman. Her tears began to lessen. "Where am I?" she wanted to know.

"Don't worry…" answered Lau Ma. "You're in a safe place now. No one will do anything bad to you." As she spoke, the woman poured water into a jug. She held it to Sakura. "Here. Drink a bit and try to calm down."

The young woman accepted the water. And while she drank, she remembered the events occurring earlier. Her father and her brother died. And she… she couldn't remember. "What happened to me?" she asked, still whimpering. 

Lau Ma sat down on the edge of the bed. "You were quite hurt, but I already tended to your wounds and soon you'll get well. Now, lie down. You have to rest a lot."

Sakura obeyed without complaint. "Thank you for taking care of me," she said gratefully.

Lau Ma only smiled and stroked her hair. "You don't have anything to thank me for. Now, sleep," she ordered softly. She saw the woman close her red and slightly swollen eyes and fall into the world of dreams.

* * *

It was a cold moonless night. Winter was approaching. Xiaolang decided to leave his rooms to walk a bit. Steps rang behind him. "How is she?" he asked his assistant and best friend, Mu Bai, who had now reached him.

"She slept again. Lau Man thinks that she had a nightmare," the man answered.

"That is normal, after all she went through," Xiaolang paused. "What is the situation of the group she was travelling with?"

Mu Bai breathed deeply. "All dead. I arrived on time to avoid having one of the wrongdoers rape the woman, but I couldn't save the others."

The two men stopped walking. "Do you know who did this?" asked Xiaolang.

"It was Ken's men," answered Mu Bai.

"Ken..." Xiaolang's face contracted with hatred. "Assemble a group of men and do a scouting. See if you can find yet another sign of Ken and his cronies around there. Make good use of the time and also provide a decent burial for the murdered group," he ordered.

"That was already taken care of, master."

"Wonderful. Then, let's go train." Both men headed towards the training grounds. Xiaolang's mind was boiling. _'Ken… what are you doing here? How did you manage to find me?'_ he wondered, irritated.

* * *

The next morning, Sakura woke up feeling better. She hadn't had any more dreams that night. She got up and went to the dressing room, to wash her face. She was frightened by the image she saw in the mirror. A large bruise covered the right side of her face, from her right eye, which was swollen, to her chin. Images came to mind. A dirty and repugnant man grabbing her, ripping her clothes. She began to cry once again. She'd lost her family, her innocence, and she'd also become deformed. What was the point of continuing to live?

The door of the room opened and a young woman, approximately her age, came in. She brought in her hand an earthen jar and a clean towel. Her smile came undone when she saw Sakura crying. "What happened, miss? Are you feeling pain?" she asked, worried.

"Why didn't you tell me that I was rap--" the woman with green eyes couldn't finish the sentence.

"Simply because you weren't," answered Lau Ma, placing the jar on the piece of furniture.

Sakura became confused. "How can that be? I remember the man hitting me…"

The other woman gave her a gentle and understanding smile. "Yes… Truthfully, he did hit you quite hard, but he didn't have the time to finish what he'd set out to do… My brother was around that area, he heard your screams, and saved you."

"Then, he saved my life," said Sakura with distant eyes. "Maybe it would've been better to have left me there to die."

"Don't say that!" exclaimed Lau Ma. "A young and pretty woman life you has all her life in front of her. You mustn't wish to die."

"I may be young, but I'm not pretty," answered Sakura, downcast. "Look at me… I look like a monster… who would be interested in someone like this…?"

Lau Ma tried to cheer her up. "Don't worry about that," she said, holding Sakura's chin and raising her face slightly to spread a cream. "Soon, soon, the swelling will pass, that purple bruise will vanish, and you'll be as good as new. Trust me."

Sakura gave a thin smile. "Thank you," she said, watching the other woman wash her hands and grab a hairbrush. The delicate way in which she was treated made her relax a bit more.

"You know one thing…" Lau Ma began while she brushed the chestnut hair of the guest. "I still don't know your name."

"I am Sakura Kinomoto," answered the young woman. "And you?"

"You can call me Lau Ma, Miss Sakura. I will take care of you while you stay here."

"This is your house?"

"No," answered Lau Ma. "I merely work here. This house is the master's, Li Xiaolang."

"Then I must thank him for all you did for me," said Sakura. But she soon noticed that Lau Ma became slightly uncomfortable. "What happened, Lau Ma?"

The Chinese woman gave a yellow smile. She knew that her master wouldn't greet the young girl. He was explicitly rigid when he declared that he did not want the guest near his chambers. All would have to care very well for the girl, but the couldn't let her get close to the west wing of the mansion, reserved for him.

"It's nothing, miss," answered Lau Ma. "Are you hungry?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes! I'm dying of hunger," said Sakura embarrassed, while her stomach grumbled, awaiting a morning coffee.

"Then let's go to the kitchen! I'll prepare you a marvelous breakfast!" The shadow that covered Lau Ma's eyes vanished. She was already growing attached to the girl who had been needing her care.

"I'd rather not leave this room, Lau Ma…" Sakura lowered her head. "I don't want the others to see my like this."

The other shook her head, denying her request. "You can't stay locked in the room all the time. Besides that, walking a bit, taking in some sun, breathing fresh air won't do you any wrong… On the contrary. Now, stand up and let's go!"

Sakura was still hesitant. "But I don't have clothes…" she tried to argue, but was interrupted.

"We have a lot of clothes for the miss to use… It's only a matter of choosing!" Lau Ma answered opening a large trunk that was on the wall of the room.

The green-eyed girl got closer and touched a piece. "What beautiful clothes! Whose are they?" asked the girl, curious.

"The master's sisters. They all married a few years ago and left various personal items here. They're all clean and well preserved. You can get whatever you like," the maid answered, smiling.

Sakura chose a light green kimono, stroked it, feeling the soft texture of the silk… There were various things incide the trunk. It would be wonderful to be able to use something as delicate… She gave her first genuine smile. "I think you're right, Lau Ma. I won't be doing anything wrong if I go out a bit…"

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it! This is the first chapter of my new saga for Sakura and Xiaolang. 

To clear a few things: the story occurs in Hong Kong, at the end of the XIX century. Sakura is the daughter of a university professor, a liberal and learned person who raised his daughter in the occidental way. Xiaolang is a warrior from a traditional Chinese family. Like I said before, it's my first try at writing a historical romance. If something is wrong, I ask you to forgive me.

I want to thank Aerin for make this translation. English is not my first language and nor hers, then pardon us for any error. Criticism, suggestions, any idea, send me an email: andreameiouh@msn.com. I will wait for your opinions. I'll answer all messages happily. See you in the next chapter!


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